Sole Including Lateral and Medial Plate Members

ABSTRACT

An article of footwear is provided and includes a sole having a forefoot portion, a heel portion, a medial side and a lateral side. A first plate member is positioned on the medial side of the sole, where the first plate member has a first length, and a second plate member is positioned on the lateral side of the sole, where the second plate member has a second length. The first length of the first plate member is greater than or equal to the second length of the second plate member.

BACKGROUND

The present application relates generally to footwear, and more particularly, to a sole including plate members for footwear that support a user's feet while efficiently transferring energy from the user's legs and feet to optimize running efficiency during walking, jogging and running while reducing fatigue.

Running involves the transfer of energy between a person's legs and feet and an underlying surface, such as the ground, contributing to propel a person forward along a trail, a sidewalk, a street or other path. The power a person is able to produce and the speed at which a person is able to move in a forward direction depends on a number of factors. For example, the ability to properly apply forces on a surface affects the energy produced and the rate of speed that the person is able to move. In particular, the propulsion generated by a person's legs and feet is important while walking, jogging or running. If a person's feet are not sufficiently supported by their shoes and their feet to do not have a stable push off point, less energy could be transferred from the person's feet to the ground to propel the person forward. Shoe constructions and the supportive systems in shoes are factors that help with proper force application and efficient energy transfer useful for walking or running. The lack of support could also cause a person's legs to tire quicker and thereby affect their ability to walk, jog or run.

There are many different types of structures for footwear to facilitate running efficiency and optimal force application. For example, some shoes include midsoles and outsoles that are made of materials having different characteristics including hardness, density and elasticity, which provide more support in some areas and less support in other areas of a person's foot leading to different shock absorption and propulsion behaviors. For example, harder materials could support to foot structures during the stance, helping a proper force application and energy transfer. In another example, a plate is inserted or embedded in the sole of a shoe to enhance the rigidity of the sole similar to harder materials. The plate is a supportive element as well as contributing to the performance attributes of a shoe while still allowing the other materials of the sole to provide cushioning in areas of the foot, such as the heel, to provide comfort.

It is therefore desirable to provide footwear that supports a person's feet during walking, jogging and running to optimize force application and energy transfers to enhance a person's walking and running efficiency.

SUMMARY

The present article of footwear includes a sole having two plate members where one of the plate members is on a medial side and the other plate member is on a lateral side of the sole. The plate members provide stability to the medial and lateral sides of the sole and also provide a support that a user's foot can press against and propel the user in a desired direction. Further, the plate members enable a user's legs and feet to efficiently transfer energy to the plate members to help reduce fatigue.

In an embodiment, an article of footwear is provided and includes a sole having a forefoot portion, a heel portion, a medial side and a lateral side. A first plate member is positioned on the medial side of the sole, where the first plate member has a first length, and a second plate member is positioned on the lateral side of the sole, where the second plate member has a second length. The first length of the first plate member is greater than or equal to the second length of the second plate member.

In another embodiment, an article of footwear is provided and includes a sole having a forefoot portion, a heel portion, a medial side and a lateral side. A first plate member is positioned on the medial side of the sole, where the first plate member has a first length, and a second plate member is positioned on the lateral side of the sole, where the second plate member having a second length. In this embodiment, the first plate member and the second plate member are connected to each other, and the first length of the first plate member is greater than or equal to the second length of the second plate member.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an article of footwear including the present sole;

FIG. 2 is a rear view of the article of footwear of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an elevational view of the present sole shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an elevational view of the lateral side of the sole of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a bottom view of the sole of FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is an elevational view of the medial side of the sole of FIG. 3;

FIG. 7 is a cross-section view of the sole of FIG. 5 taken substantially along the line 7-7 in the direction generally indicated;

FIG. 8 is a cross-section view of the sole of FIG. 5 taken substantially along the line 8-8 in the direction generally indicated;

FIG. 9 is a bottom view of the sole of FIG. 3 showing the plate members;

FIG. 10 is a cross-section view of the sole of FIG. 9 taken substantially along the line 10-10 in the direction generally indicated;

FIG. 11 is a cross-section view of the sole of FIG. 9 taken substantially along the line 11-11 in the direction generally indicated;

FIG. 12 is a schematic side view of the sole of FIG. 3 that shows the medial plate member;

FIG. 13 is a schematic side view of the sole of FIG. 3 that shows the lateral plate member;

FIG. 14 is a top view of the medial plate member;

FIG. 15 is a side view of the medial plate member of FIG. 14;

FIG. 16 is a cross-section view of the medial plate member of FIG. 14 taken substantially along the line 16-16 in the direction generally indicated;

FIG. 17 is a top view of the lateral plate member;

FIG. 18 is a side view of the lateral plate member of FIG. 17; and

FIG. 19 is a cross-section view of the lateral plate member of FIG. 17 taken substantially along the line 19-19 in the direction generally indicated; and

FIG. 20 is a bottom view of another embodiment of the present sole showing the plate members connected together.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present sole is attached to an upper to form an article of footwear to stabilize and cushion a user's foot during walking, jogging and running, while providing enhanced stability and spring for efficient propulsion. More specifically, the present sole includes a midsole and an outsole where two plate members are located on or in the midsole or outsole to provide enhanced support in the user's feet and enable the user's feet to push against the plate members and propel the user in a desired direction.

Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2, an article of footwear 20 includes an embodiment of the present sole, generally indicated as 22, where the sole 22 includes a midsole 24 attached to an upper 21, and an outsole 26. The midsole 24 may be an integral, molded component made of a material having a designated hardness value or made with different materials having the same or different hardness values. For example, one or more portions of the midsole 24 may be made with a material having a hardness or hardness value that is greater than a hardness or hardness value in other areas of the midsole to increase the stability and support in designated areas of the midsole. In the illustrated embodiment, the midsole 24 includes a first material layer 28 made of a foam material, and a second material layer 30 made of Ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA) or an EVA foam material. As shown in FIG. 1, the outsole 26 is attached to a bottom surface 32 of the midsole 24 by an adhesive or by molding, and is made of rubber. The outsole 26 typically includes a plurality of tread members 34 that are configured to grip an underlying surface, such as the ground, during movement. It should be appreciated that the midsole 24 and outsole 26 may be made of any suitable materials or combinations of materials.

As shown in FIG. 2, at least a portion of the sole 22 in a heel or heel portion 36 extends outwardly at a predetermined angle e from the upper. The sole 22 also extends outwardly from the rear part of a heel or heel area 36 to enhance stability and balance during movement. In the illustrated embodiment, the outer surface 38 of the sole 22 forms an angle e of thirty degrees relative to a vertical line. Preferably, the angle e of the outer surface 38 of the sole is twenty to thirty-five degrees. It should be appreciated that the angle ⊖ may be any suitable angle.

Referring now to FIGS. 4-19, the sole 22 is formed with channels 40 a and 40 b that are configured to receive medial and lateral plate members, which are described in more detail below. The first channel or medial channel 40 a extends along a medial side 42 of the sole 22 and the second channel 40 b extends along a lateral side 44 of the sole 22. In the illustrated embodiment, the first channel 40 a on the medial side of the sole 22 extends from the heel area 36 to a forefoot area 46 of the sole. As shown in FIG. 9, the first channel 40 a has curves that generally correspond to the curves of the sole 22 on the medial side 42. Similarly, the second channel 40 b on the lateral side 44 extends from the heel area 36 to the forefoot area 46 of the sole 22. The second channel 40 b also has curves that generally correspond to the curves on the lateral side 44 of the sole 22. In the illustrated embodiment, the first and second channels 40 a and 40 b are formed in a bottom surface 48 of the first material layer 28 (upper layer) of the midsole 24. In another embodiment, the first and second channels 40 a and 40 b are formed in a top surface 50 of the first material layer 28 of the midsole 24. The first and second channels 40 a and 40 b may also be formed in the top surface 52 or the bottom surface 54 of the second material layer 30 (bottom layer) of the midsole 24, formed in the top surface 56 of the outsole 26 or at any location within the midsole 24 or the outsole 26. As described in more detail below, the first channel 40 a or medial channel has a length that is greater than a length of the second channel 40 b or lateral channel. Also, the first and second channels 40 a, 40 b are formed as separate channels where the distance or space between the channels varies along the lengths of the first and second channels based on the desired support provided in different areas of the sole 22. It should be appreciated that the length of the second channel 40 a may be greater than the length of the first channel 40 or that the lengths of the first and second channels 40 a and 40 b may be the same.

Referring to FIGS. 7, 8, 12 and 13, the first and second channels 40 a, 40 b are configured to have a size and shape that correspond to the size and shape of the plate members shown in FIGS. 14 and 17. Similarly, the heights of the first and second channels 40 a, 40 b correspond to the thicknesses, i.e., the distance between the top and bottom surfaces, of the plate members shown in FIGS. 16 and 19. A central area 58 a, 58 b of the first and second channels 40 a, 40 b includes a height that is greater than the thicknesses of the plate members to form a cavity or space 60 a, 60 b that allow central portions of the plate members to flex downwardly and upwardly within the cavities 60 a, 60 b due to pressure applied to the central portions of the plate members by a user's feet. The heights or sizes of the cavities 60 a, 60 b (FIGS. 12 and 13) in the central areas 58 a, 58 b of the first and second channels 40 a, 40 b may be any suitable heights based on the desired flex or movement of the central portions of the plate members within the channels. Further, the first and second channels 40 a, 40 b in the illustrated embodiment are in the same horizontal or lateral plane in the sole 22. It is also contemplated that the first and second channels 40 a, 40 b may be in different planes relative to the vertical height of the sole or portions of the first and second channels 40 a, 40 b may be in the same plane or different planes.

Referring to FIGS. 14-16, the first plate member or medial plate member 62 is preferably made of carbon fiber material but may be made with metal, a composite material or any suitable material or combination of materials. As shown in FIG. 14, the first plate member 62 has a first end 64 and a second end 66 that define an overall length L1. As shown in FIG. 14, the first plate member 62 has a first curve 68 that curves laterally outwardly from the first end 64 to a central area of the first plate member, and a second curve 70 that curves laterally inwardly from the central area to the second end 66. As described above, the lateral curves 68 and 70 of the first plate member 62 correspond to the curves of the medial side 42 of the sole 22. It should be appreciated that the first plate member 62 may have one or more lateral curves depending on the desired support provided by the first plate member. It should be appreciated that the first plate member 62 may also be straight or substantially straight.

In the illustrated embodiment, the first plate member 62 is also bent or formed so that different portions of the first plate member have different heights and configurations. As shown in FIG. 15, the first end 64 of the first plate member 62 has a concave curve 74 that extends toward a central area 76. The central area 76 of the first plate member 62 has a convex curve 78 and the second end 66 has a concave curve 80 that extends to the central area 76. The different vertical heights and/or configurations of the first plate member 62 enables the different portions of the first plate member to provide different levels of support and flexibility. In this way, the different portions of the first plate member 62 combine to provide a spring effect that enables a user to efficiently transfer energy from their legs and feet to the sole 22 to spring or propel forward or in another desired direction.

Referring to FIGS. 17 and 18, the second plate member or lateral plate member 82 is preferably made of a carbon fiber material but may be made with metal, a composite material or any suitable material or combination of materials, and has a similar size and shape to the first plate member 62 but with a shorter overall length L2. As shown in FIG. 17, the second plate member 82 has a first end 84 and a second end 86 where the first end has a first curve 88 that curves laterally outwardly toward the lateral side 44 of the sole 22 and a central area 90 of the second plate member 82 that has a second curve 92 that curves laterally inwardly away from the lateral side 44 of the sole 22 at the second end 86. It should be appreciated that the second plate member 82 may have any suitable number of curves or may be straight or substantially straight. Also, the curves or curvatures of the first and second plate members 62 and 82 may be the same or different from each other.

As shown in FIG. 18, the second plate member 82 is bent or formed to have different heights and/or configurations. In this embodiment, the first end 84 of the second plate member 82 has a concave curve 96 that extends toward the central area 90, a convex curve 98 that extends from the central area 90 to a concave curve 100 at the second end 86. As described above, the formation of the concave and convex curves in the second plate member 82 enables the second plate member to provide a desired or predetermined level of support and flexibility in different portions of the lateral side 44 of the sole 22. As a result, the second plate member 82 provides a spring effect on the lateral side 44 of the sole 22 to enhance the support and propulsion for a user as their foot presses or pushes against the second plate member during movement.

Referring to FIGS. 16 and 19, the first and second plate members 62 and 82 respectively have first and second thicknesses T1 and T2. In the illustrated embodiment, the first and second thicknesses T1 and T2 are uniform along the entire lengths L1 and L2 of the first and second plate members, where the first and second thicknesses are the same. In another embodiment, the first and second thicknesses T1 and T2 are different to provide different levels of support and spring to the medial and lateral sides 42 and 44 of the sole 22. It is also contemplated that the first thickness T1 and the second thickness T2 may vary along the lengths L1 and L2 of the first and second plate members 62 and 82. For example, the thickness of the first plate member 62 and/or the thickness of the second plate member 82 at the first end may be greater than or less than the thickness at the central area and/or the second end of the first and second plate members.

Additionally, the first and second plate members 62 and 82 in the above embodiment, each extend form the forefoot area 46 to the heel area 36 of the sole 22. The first and/or second plate members 62 and 82 may also extend from the forefoot area 46 to a mid-foot area 102 (FIG. 9) depending on the support and cushioning desired for the sole 22. At a minimum, the first and second plate members 62 and 82 are located in the forefoot area 46 of the sole 22 to enable the forefoot of a user's foot to be able to push against the first and/or second plate members 62 and 82 for propulsion. As described above, the first and second plate members 62 and 82 may extend from the forefoot area 46 to any desired location along the sole 22 to enhance the support and flexibility of the sole.

In the above embodiments, providing the separate plate members 62 and 82 on the medial and lateral sides 42 and 44 of the sole 22 allow for different levels of support and flexibility to be provided to a user's feet on the medial and lateral sides of the article of footwear 20. For example, more support and flexibility or spring may be provided on the medial side 42 than the lateral side 44. Alternatively, more support and spring may be provided on the lateral side 44 than the medial side 42. Further, the first plate member 62 is longer than the second plate member 82 to correspond to user's foot where the medial side of the foot is longer than the lateral side. Forming the first and second plate members 62 and 82 with lengths that correspond to the different lengths of the feet on the medial and lateral sides maximizes the spring effect provided by the first and second plate members. Also, the configurations of the first and second plate members 62 and 82, such as the lateral shape and vertical heights, and the lengths of the first and second plate members are determined based one the desired support and flexibility or spring-effect desired in the different areas of the sole 22 to help a user to efficiently transfer energy generated by their legs and feet to the plate members, and thereby the sole 22, and efficiently propel their body in a desired direction.

In another embodiment, the sole 104 includes a recessed area or channel 106 formed in a midsole or outsole. A medial plate member 108 extends along the medial side 110 of the sole, and a lateral plate member 112 extends along the lateral side 114 of the sole as described above. In this embodiment, a connecting portion 116 connects or joins the medial plate member 108 and the lateral plate member 112 in an area between the mid-foot area and heel area of the sole 104. The connecting portion 116 is preferably formed with a flexible material so that the medial plate member 108 and the lateral plate member 112 may move relative to each other during use. It should be appreciated that the connecting portion 116 may be located at any suitable point along the medial plate member 108 and the lateral plate member 112. Additionally, the connecting portion may be longer or shorter along a longitudinal axis of the sole depending on the desired level of rigidity and flexibility.

While particular embodiments of the present sole for an article of footwear have been shown and described, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes and modifications may be made thereto without departing from the invention in its broader aspects and as set forth in the following claims. 

What is claimed is:
 1. An article of footwear comprising: a sole having a forefoot portion, a heel portion, a medial side and a lateral side; a first plate member positioned on the medial side of the sole, said first plate member having a first length; and a second plate member positioned on the lateral side of the sole, said second plate member having a second length, wherein said first length of said first plate member is greater than or equal to said second length of said second plate member.
 2. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein said first plate member extends from said forefoot portion to said heel portion.
 3. The article of footwear of claim 2, wherein said second plate member extends from said forefoot portion to said heel portion.
 4. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein said second plate member extends from said forefoot portion to said heel portion.
 5. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein at least one of said first plate member and said second plate member extends from said forefoot portion to a midfoot portion of said sole.
 6. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein said sole includes a first channel on said medial side and a second channel on said lateral side, and wherein said first plate member is located in said first channel and said second plate member is located in said second channel.
 7. The article of footwear of claim 6, wherein a central area of at least one of said first channel and said second channel includes a cavity that is greater than a thickness of said at least one of said first channel and said second channel.
 8. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein at least one of said first plate member and said second plate member includes at least one lateral curve.
 9. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein at least one of said first plate member and said second plate member includes has portions that are at different heights.
 10. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein said first plate member includes a first thickness and said second plate member includes a second thickness, and wherein said first thickness and said second thickness are the same.
 11. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein said first plate member includes a first thickness and said second plate member includes a second thickness, and wherein said first thickness and said second thickness are the different.
 12. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein said first plate member and said second plate member are spaced from each other.
 13. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein at least one of said first plate member and said second plate member includes at least one of a vertically oriented concave curve and a vertically oriented convex curve.
 14. An article of footwear comprising: a sole having a forefoot portion, a heel portion, a medial side and a lateral side; a first plate member positioned on the medial side of the sole, said first plate member having a first length; and a second plate member positioned on the lateral side of the sole, said second plate member having a second length, wherein said first plate member and said second plate member are connected to each other, and wherein said first length of said first plate member is greater than or equal to said second length of said second plate member.
 15. The article of footwear of claim 14, wherein said first plate member and said second plate member are connected in a midfoot portion of said sole.
 16. The article of footwear of claim 14, wherein said sole includes a first channel on said medial side and a second channel on said lateral side, and wherein said first plate member is located in said first channel and said second plate member is located in said second channel.
 17. The article of footwear of claim 16, wherein a central area of at least one of said first channel and said second channel includes a cavity that is greater than a thickness of said at least one of said first channel and said second channel. 